Waterfalls Cafe
"What this family-run café lacks in ambience, it makes up for in the tasty authenticity of its Middle Eastern dishes," writes Sandra Nygaard for New York magazine. Waterfalls Cafe (or Waterfalls Restaurant, depending on whether you're reading the signage on the window or on the awning) was recommended to Gothamist's Dave Freedenberg by an Egyptian vegetarian cabbie named Ali: "Along with typical Middle Eastern vegetarian dishes like falafel with babaghanouj, hummos, and tabouleh, Waterfalls offers more exotic selections like cabbage stuffed with cracked wheat, chick peas, mint, and salad. Ali was a big fan of the $3.50 fried cauliflower pita sandwich and the emjaddara (rice with lentils, fried onion, and yogurt salad). I am a fan of their olives and pickled radishes."
But there's meat on the Waterfalls menu, too: "Dive, don’t dip, into the pita-perfect mouhammara, a flavorful Syrian spread of walnut and sweet red peppers, followed by a perfectly seasoned plate of lamb-stuffed cabbage. Skip the baklava (a bit of a tough chew) and the gritty, unsweetened apricot pudding (clearly an acquired taste)," says Time Out New York. And Chowhound Steve R compares Waterfalls to its neighbor, Yemen Cafe, which "is best for the lamb stews and soups, while Waterfalls has a great selection of salads and grilled meats." How would you rate this place?
Reviews (10)
JKB wrote a review on March 31, 2009 1:14 PM
We love Waterfall. Only gripe is service can be painfully slow. But food is fantastic and well worth the prices. Great menu, and you can BYOB, too (in fact, you have to).
chrishavens wrote a review on March 31, 2009 1:43 PM
My favorite on the street and the most interesting.
pclem wrote a review on March 31, 2009 1:49 PM
Have only dined in once, and the service was fine. The food, though, is consistently great. Never had a bad meal.
Stonergut wrote a review on March 31, 2009 3:56 PM
I love this place - my husband deemed their eggplant salad "better than my grandmother's" and the hostess siaghed "My mom makes it. would you like to take her home with you? I've had it with her!"
We often see families eating in here - it's inexpensive and terrific.
bklyn14 wrote a review on March 31, 2009 7:24 PM
one of the best lunches in bklyn heights/cobble hill....the woman who runs the place is sensational...place is really busy due to hospital traffic....food is phenomenal
gracias wrote a review on March 31, 2009 11:56 PM
Love this place. Their pocket sandwiches are a great bargain and their vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls are excellent. I've never had a bad meal at Waterfalls and it's become a staple of our delivery/take-out diet. You can eat junk food or rather healthily, but it's always fresh and delicious.
Porterhouse wrote a review on April 1, 2009 11:11 AM
I love this place, too. The atmosphere is okay, so I usually get delivery. Great food at low prices. Favorites include: lentil soup, shish tawouk sandwiches and the feta cheese app. Always tasty and very satisfying!
gastronormous wrote a review on April 1, 2009 12:56 PM
When we lived in the neighborhood, we often got take-out from Waterfalls. The food really is very good, especially the combination platter, which includes their delicious fried cauliflower. I always much preferred the mouhmarra from Fatoosh, around the corner on Hicks (although the last couple times I visited Fatoosh--a while back--their food in general was less consistently good, so if they have gone down hill, that may not be the case anymore). In any case, I would definitely recommend Waterfalls, especially for takeout (I agree their atmosphere isn't the most alluring!).
laurie11201 wrote a review on April 1, 2009 3:38 PM
We live a few doors up the block and dine in or take out regularly. I LOVE their emjaddara (with gobs of extra fried onions), the fool medamas (fava beans) and the fried cauliflower, along with the full range of grilled meats. The ambience is lacking, sure, but they keep it clean the the woman who owns it is such a sweetheart.
Sonubaby1 wrote a review on April 13, 2009 11:43 PM
Including myself, my friends and family thoroughly enjoy this restaurant. The ambience is that of the culture itself. The food is exotic and satisfying. They can accommodate a small group or a large group of patrons. The hostess is very knowledgeable about what to serve. So don't feel uncomfortable if you're not familiar with this type of food.
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